Haye Kesteloo is the Editor in Chief and Founder of DroneXL.co, where he covers all drone-related news, DJI rumors and writes drone reviews, and of EVXL.co, for all electric vehicle news. Haye can be reached at haye @ dronexl.co or @hayekesteloo.
Security researcher Kevin Finisterre, working with peer experts, has now linked the SkyRover X1—the drone reviewed recently by Shawn of Air Photography—straight to DJI’s cloud via code hidden in its smartphone app. This confirms earlier hunches that SkyRover is little more than a renamed DJI Mini 4 Pro, a finding that arrives as U.S. lawmakers…
Colombia’s military tests a new domestically produced drone that packs significant firepower to counter escalating aerial attacks from drug traffickers, who arm cheap commercial models with homemade explosives. This development highlights the rapid evolution of drone technology in asymmetric conflicts, as reported by NPR. Criminal Groups Arm Drones for Surveillance and Strikes Drug traffickers in…
South Korea’s defense ministry suspended Major General Kim Yong-dae, head of the Drone Operations Command, over suspicions that military drones were illegally sent to North Korea last year as part of preparations for former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s martial law imposition. This development raises questions about the use of unmanned aerial vehicles in sensitive inter-Korean…
Hong Kong’s police force is advancing its use of drones in urban and border patrols, leading to quick detections and arrests in initial trials, as part of a broader “smart policing” strategy. This development highlights how drones are becoming integral tools for law enforcement, offering aerial surveillance that complements ground operations. Initial Drone Patrol Trials…
A leading drone industry executive has sounded the alarm on unregulated drone operations, highlighting a recent collision during Texas flood rescues as a stark example of preventable dangers. In an opinion piece published on Fox News, Tom Walker, founder and CEO of DroneUp, urges immediate action to modernize U.S. airspace management before threats turn catastrophic.…
A computer engineering student at St. Mary’s University is leveraging artificial intelligence to create data that teaches drones to mimic bird-like flight patterns, potentially revolutionizing extended missions like search and rescue by addressing power limitations. Joshua Riojas, 22, draws on machine learning to help unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) stay aloft longer using natural air currents.…
The Laredo Police Department has launched a drone program that dispatches autonomous aircraft to high-priority 911 calls, enabling them to deliver Narcan during overdoses, provide live footage to officers, and arrive at scenes in less than three minutes. This initiative expands the department’s use of drones beyond traditional surveillance and crime scene tasks into real-time…
Hyundai Motor Company advances drone-assisted forest restoration with the IONIQ 9 Seed Ball Drone Station, a system that deploys large drones to scatter seed balls in wildfire-scarred areas, promising faster recovery in hard-to-reach terrains. This development builds on the company’s 2023 IONIQ 5 Monitoring Drone Station and targets regions like Uljin on Korea’s East Coast,…
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